Just over an hour from Tallahassee or Panama City, the 1300-acre Florida Caverns State Park on the Chipola River is one of Florida's oldest State Parks. Eerie stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone (formed by water flowing over rock) fill the many caves below your feet. You can take a 45-minute guided tour (adult/child $10.75/5; 9am to 4pm) through one of the caves with a volunteer.
They've come up with some quirky names to describe the various rock formations in the cave, from "wedding cake" to "bacon." If you're lucky, you'll spot a tricolored bat (Florida's smallest!) or a salamander. The tour covers a distance of about a mile and is an easy to moderate walk that involves about 50 steps. You'll also have to crouch periodically to scoot under low-hanging rock formations.
Outside, the Blue Hole swimming area makes for a fun – if freezing – dip. Unfortunately, Hurricane Michael destroyed 90% of the park's trees, and aside from the main cave, most areas (including the campsites) remained closed as of late 2020.
As with all parks, plan to have cash (exact change preferred) for the entry fee.
